{"product_id":"hardy-stem-pack-14-bunches","title":"Hardy Stem Plant Pack – 14 Bunches of Fast-Growing Aquarium Stem Plants","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIts job in your tank:\u003c\/strong\u003e nutrient sponge, by the bunch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFill your tank fast and leave algae nothing to eat.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFourteen bunches of the toughest, fastest stem plants we grow, chosen to fill backgrounds and midgrounds quickly in a low-tech tank. Stem plants are also Father Fish's pick for shrimp tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow it fits the Father Fish Method\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFather Fish has kept fish for more than 70 years, and his method has helped thousands of aquarists build tanks that run on biology instead of bottles. A layer of living soil (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/aqua-preta-soils\"\u003eAqua Preta Complete Substrate\u003c\/a\u003e) sits under a sand cap and feeds rooted plants for years. You plant heavily on day one and skip the CO2, liquid fertilizers and root tabs. Then the plants, the soil and the tiny life in them balance the tank. Fast stem plants are the method's first line of defense: they take up spare nutrients while the soil and your rooted plants settle in, so algae has nothing to feed on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFather Fish says: \"Start a new tank with stems and vals. Big plants in the back, small in the front. Plant heavily at the start.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's in the pack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14 bunches of assorted hardy stem plants. Typical picks include hornwort, bacopa, Hygrophila, Ludwigia, Rotala, moneywort and water wisteria. The mix changes with the season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eYour plan\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant on day one.\u003c\/strong\u003e Push each stem about 1 inch into the sand cap, never into the soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFather Fish tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e float fresh cuttings for 2–3 days so they start roots, then replant them.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTop and replant\u003c\/strong\u003e every time the stems reach the surface. Each trim grows your stand.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew-tank lighting:\u003c\/strong\u003e run the lights 24 hours a day for the first 4 days, then 10–12 hours a day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout substitutions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Packs are made up in advance, so we can't take requests for specific plants. If a plant is out of stock, we swap in a similar plant of equal or greater value.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Father Fish Aquarium","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45067912773905,"sku":"","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0755\/0500\/8913\/files\/hardy-stem-pack-12-robust-bunches-father-fish.png?v=1759858147","url":"https:\/\/fatherfishaquarium.com\/products\/hardy-stem-pack-14-bunches","provider":"Father Fish Aquarium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}